Electrochemical cells are used for a variety of analytical procedures. The cell basically comprises a container for an electrolyte and three or more electrodes of which the principal ones are the auxiliary electrode (sometimes referred to as the counter electrode), the reference electrode and the working electrode. Electronic circuitry known as potentiostats and galvanostats are connected to the electrochemical cell electrodes for measuring potentials, currents and the like in the analytical process.
From time to time, it is desirable that a "standard cell" be available for calibrating the electronic potentio/galvanostatic circuitry. Obviously a given electrolyte in a given cell and previously analyzed would serve the purpose, but equally obvious is the fact that a large number of such "standard cells" are needed for adequate calibration of the electronic circuitry for accommodating a large variety of such cells.
To date the problem has usually been "solved" by a pair of adjustable resistors and an adjustable capacitor for roughly approximating the solution "compensated" resistance component, R.sub.c, between the auxiliary electrode and the reference electrode; the solution "uncompensated" resistance component, R.sub.u, (this designation is in current use although present day circuitry is available for compensation of this resistance also), and the "double layer" or barrier layer capacitance, C.sub.b. A simple adjustable resistor shunting the adjustable capacitor has been used heretofore as a rough simulation of the conduction of faradaic current across the capacitor. Needless to say this approach has been far from satisfactory with the artisan. Thus there is a desire for an adjustable electronic circuit arrangement for obviating time consuming wet chemistry preparation and providing reproducible cell simulation of faradaic current flow resulting from diffusion limited reactions.